The actor Robert Douglas was one of those sort of "elite" type villains - George MacDonald Fraser calls them the men of the "sibilant "ess"" because of the way they pronounce words with a soft but sharp "ess" - like Henry Daniell, George Zucco, George Coulouris, George Macready, and Lionel Atwill (one could also add Boris Karloff and Charles Laughton too). They normally are villains in their movies but they usually fascinate the audience watching them. Douglas's best known villain is possibly Ellsworth Toohey in THE FOUNTAINHEAD, the elitist architectural critic who is trying to smash the originality of Howard Roarke (Gary Cooper). However he was the improvident Italian Marchese who is forced to side with the German invaders in Medieval Italy in THE FLAME AND THE ARROW. He was also the Duke of Lorca fighting Errol Flynn's DON JUAN, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Christopher Haddon, who was struggling against Richard Todd's Sir Walter Raleigh for Bette Davis' THE VIRGIN QUEEN. Finally (ironically given his role in this episode of ONE STEP BEYOND) he was Benedict Arnold, betraying his country and dooming the heroic Major John Andre (Michael Wilding) in THE SCARLET COAT.
Yet he could play good guys on occasion. Towards the end of his career Douglas was in an episode of COLUMBO where a murder occurs on a cruise liner. He is the ship's doctor, and helps Peter Falk solve the crime. In the present case, he played one of the heroes of American history - General (later President) George Washington. It is harder to think of better people to portray.
The issue of George Washington's religion (like that of Jefferson and Lincoln) has bothered American historians. Basically Washington was a member of the Anglican Church (which became the Episcopalian), but in practice was a Deist like Jefferson. But Washington (unlike Jefferson) felt organized religion was important for society - it stabilized nations to have religious populations, which encouraged morality. On the other hand, Washington was light years ahead of his fellow founding fathers in one portion of organized religious belief. He saw that no single religion had a key to morality, and (unlike Jefferson, who still played with Christ as a central figure) Washington was willing to show support for non-Christians (not that Jefferson pushed for persecution: he just felt religious morality had to sprout from Christian thought). Washington was willing to write letters to give support to Jewish Congregations in the U.S. (a famous example was a letter to the Congregation of the Touro Synagogue in Newport in 1791). Jefferson and Madison never did that, nor did Franklin or Adams or Hamilton.
Starting with Parson Mason Weems, the hagiography biographer of Washington in the 1800s, the legends that Washington was secretly pious arose many times. One scene of this was of Washington being observed by some of his soldiers at Valley Forge praying in the wintry snow for guidance. A stamp of Washington doing this appeared in the 1930s. Despite Weems's pious words, there is no real proof this scene ever occurred. Yet the story continues to circulate.
In this episode of ONE STEP BEYOND, Washington is facing the destruction of his army because the British have captured Philadelphia and his men are starving and freezing. He is considering either resigning his command or suggesting that the Continental Congress consider making terms with the British.
SPOILERS COMING UP
He is walking through the camp and forest in Valley Forge, when he sees the Otumcas (Richard Hale). Otumcas is an old acquaintance of the General whom he respected. The only problem is that Otumcas died about ten years before. The spirit of the Indian reviews the facts of his situation, and while he says it is bad he suggests that the General should seek guidance. As Otumcas vanishes into the air, Washington considers the situation. He does pray (as Weems would have it), but he feels little confidence in that. He talks to his friend the young Lafayette (Donald Buka) and decides to go to bed.
But the next morning there is a change in him. He is far more optimistic, and tells Lafayette that he was wrong: that he has seen what the United States will one day be like - a huge country and important and strong - a hope for the world. He can't suggest giving up now...and he won't do so. He is recommitted to continuing and winning this war.
Douglas was quite compelling in that scene, and (like many of the episodes) despite disbelief regarding the General having ever had such a vision we (an interested audience) suspend disbelief and accept what he is saying. John Newland's postscript about the validity of Washington's vision is a nice piety, but I have never seen a reputable historian push this story in a biography. But the performance of Douglas makes the episode worthwhile, particularly as he is playing a good person for a change.
Yet he could play good guys on occasion. Towards the end of his career Douglas was in an episode of COLUMBO where a murder occurs on a cruise liner. He is the ship's doctor, and helps Peter Falk solve the crime. In the present case, he played one of the heroes of American history - General (later President) George Washington. It is harder to think of better people to portray.
The issue of George Washington's religion (like that of Jefferson and Lincoln) has bothered American historians. Basically Washington was a member of the Anglican Church (which became the Episcopalian), but in practice was a Deist like Jefferson. But Washington (unlike Jefferson) felt organized religion was important for society - it stabilized nations to have religious populations, which encouraged morality. On the other hand, Washington was light years ahead of his fellow founding fathers in one portion of organized religious belief. He saw that no single religion had a key to morality, and (unlike Jefferson, who still played with Christ as a central figure) Washington was willing to show support for non-Christians (not that Jefferson pushed for persecution: he just felt religious morality had to sprout from Christian thought). Washington was willing to write letters to give support to Jewish Congregations in the U.S. (a famous example was a letter to the Congregation of the Touro Synagogue in Newport in 1791). Jefferson and Madison never did that, nor did Franklin or Adams or Hamilton.
Starting with Parson Mason Weems, the hagiography biographer of Washington in the 1800s, the legends that Washington was secretly pious arose many times. One scene of this was of Washington being observed by some of his soldiers at Valley Forge praying in the wintry snow for guidance. A stamp of Washington doing this appeared in the 1930s. Despite Weems's pious words, there is no real proof this scene ever occurred. Yet the story continues to circulate.
In this episode of ONE STEP BEYOND, Washington is facing the destruction of his army because the British have captured Philadelphia and his men are starving and freezing. He is considering either resigning his command or suggesting that the Continental Congress consider making terms with the British.
SPOILERS COMING UP
He is walking through the camp and forest in Valley Forge, when he sees the Otumcas (Richard Hale). Otumcas is an old acquaintance of the General whom he respected. The only problem is that Otumcas died about ten years before. The spirit of the Indian reviews the facts of his situation, and while he says it is bad he suggests that the General should seek guidance. As Otumcas vanishes into the air, Washington considers the situation. He does pray (as Weems would have it), but he feels little confidence in that. He talks to his friend the young Lafayette (Donald Buka) and decides to go to bed.
But the next morning there is a change in him. He is far more optimistic, and tells Lafayette that he was wrong: that he has seen what the United States will one day be like - a huge country and important and strong - a hope for the world. He can't suggest giving up now...and he won't do so. He is recommitted to continuing and winning this war.
Douglas was quite compelling in that scene, and (like many of the episodes) despite disbelief regarding the General having ever had such a vision we (an interested audience) suspend disbelief and accept what he is saying. John Newland's postscript about the validity of Washington's vision is a nice piety, but I have never seen a reputable historian push this story in a biography. But the performance of Douglas makes the episode worthwhile, particularly as he is playing a good person for a change.